What You Need To Know About Your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) When You Turn 18 - SSA.gov
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What You Need
To Know About
Your Supplemental
Security Income
(SSI) When You
Turn 18
SSA.govWhat’s inside Introduction 1 The Age-18 Redetermination 1 Earnings and the Age-18 Redetermination 2 Social Security Work Incentives and Supports 4 Continued Payments (Section 301 Payments) 4 Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE) 5 Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) 7 Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) 8 Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS) 8 Grants and Scholarships 9 Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Account 10
National and Community Supports From Programs Other Than Social Security 11 Contacting Social Security 16
Introduction
This publication is for youth who receive
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and
their parents, teachers, health providers,
caregivers, or representatives. You
should learn about the changes that
happen with your SSI benefits when
you turn age 18; as well as services
and supports that are available from
Social Security and other federal and
state agencies to help you prepare for a
successful transition into adulthood.
The Age-18 Redetermination
When you turn age 18, we will review
your eligibility for continued SSI
benefits based on the disability rules for
adults, including non-medical eligibility
rules (income, resources, residency,
citizenship, etc.), which are different
than the rules that were applied when
you were a child. We call this review an
“age-18 redetermination.” We will make
sure that you are aware of this important
change and the process for providing us
with needed information. We will usually
contact you within a year of turning age
18. During this review, we will send
you a letter to ask for the following
information about your disability:
• Names of any medicines.
• Hospital stays and surgeries.
• Visits to doctors and clinics.
• Work activity.
• Counseling and therapy.
1• Schools and special classes
or tutoring.
• Teachers and counselors who have
knowledge of your condition.
Doctors and other trained staff will
decide if you meet the disability rules
for adults. Our disability rules for adults
are different from our disability rules for
children. Historically, about one-third of
children lose their SSI eligibility following
the age-18 redetermination.
When we decide if you will continue to
qualify for SSI, we will write to let you
know our decision. Our letter explains
your right to appeal our decision — that
is, ask us to look at your case again.
If you want to appeal the decision,
you must send a written appeal to
Social Security within 60 days from
the date you receive your letter. If you
appeal the decision within 10 days of
receiving the letter, you can also choose
to have us continue to pay SSI benefits
during the appeal process. For more
information on the appeal process, go to
www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10058.pdf
and read Your Right To Question The
Decision We Made On Your Claim
(Publication No. 05-10058).
Earnings and the Age-18
Redetermination
The age-18 redetermination differs
from a new application. Unlike in a new
application for SSI, your earnings above
2the substantial gainful activity (SGA)1
level in a month will not automatically
make you ineligible for SSI during your
age-18 redetermination. We will make
a decision about whether you meet the
other medical and non-medical criteria
to receive SSI. When we decide if you
meet the medical criteria, we will also
consider your level of functioning in your
past work and what it says about your
ability to work in the national economy.
If you are able to work at the SGA level
only because of SSI work incentives
or other supports, we will consider that
information in the redetermination.
Visit www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/
sga.html to get the current year’s
SGA amounts (blind and non-blind
amounts), and you should also visit
www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10095.pdf
and read Working While Disabled: How
We Can Help (Publication No. 05-10095).
When we review non-medical eligibility
during the age-18 redetermination, we
will ask for information about all of your
income, including any earnings. If you
use SSI work incentives and supports
to help you to work, we will not count
some of your earnings and that will
reduce your risk of you losing your SSI
or Medicaid because of work. However,
you must tell us about your work activity
no matter how little you earn. Your SSI
may continue while you work if you are
still disabled. As your earnings go up,
1 Social Security considers your monthly earnings to
evaluate whether your work activity is at a level of
substantial gainful activity.
3the amount of your SSI will go down and
eventually may stop. Even if your SSI
stops, you may be able to keep your
Medicaid coverage and keep working.
Social Security Work Incentives
and Supports
We have work incentives that are
available to help youth and adults. We
also have additional information available
to assist with benefits counseling and
work supports. Work incentives allow
you to continue receiving your SSI
payments or Medicaid coverage while
you work. We can give you information
about our work incentives and supports,
tell you when you qualify for them, and
help you to use them. Some of the work
incentives and supports are described
below. For more information on these
and other Social Security employment
supports, visit www.ssa.gov/redbook
and read The Red Book – A Summary
Guide To Employment Supports
(Publication No. 64-030).
Continued Payments
(Section 301 Payments)
If we find that you are no longer
medically eligible after the age-18
redetermination, your SSI payments
usually stop. However, if you are
participating in an approved program
of special education, vocational
4rehabilitation (VR), or similar services,
your benefits may continue until you stop
participating in or complete the program.
To qualify for continued SSI payments
under Section 301:
• You must be participating in an
appropriate program of VR or similar
services that began before your
eligibility ends under our rules.
• We must review your program
and decide that your continued
participation in the program will likely
result in you no longer receiving
disability benefits.
Examples of appropriate programs
may include:
• An individualized education program
(IEP) for a youth who is age 18
through 21.
• A VR agency using an individualized
plan for employment.
• Support services using an
individualized written employment plan.
• A written service plan with a
school under Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act.
• An approved Plan to Achieve Self
Support (PASS).
Student Earned Income
Exclusion (SEIE)
Are you working or planning to work?
The SEIE allows youth under age 22
who are regularly attending school to
5have some of their earnings excluded
from their countable income when
determining SSI eligibility and payment.
The amount that we can exclude
generally increases each year. To find
the current amount we can exclude, visit
www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10095.pdf
and read Working While Disabled:
How We Can Help (Publication No.
05-10095). This means that earnings
up to these limits will not change SSI
payment amounts. The SEIE is available
to you if you are participating in any of
the following:
• Grades 7 through 12 for at least 12
hours a week.
• Under certain circumstances,
homeschooling meeting the
homeschooling laws of the state or
jurisdiction where you live.
• Online schooling authorized by the
laws of the state where the online
school is located.
• A college or university for at least 8
hours a week under a semester or
quarter system.
• A training course to prepare for
employment for at least 12 hours
a week (or 15 hours a week if the
course involves shop practice).
• Any of the above for less time for
reasons beyond your control, such
as illness.
• A transition program preparing you for
employment while you receive special
education services.
6The SEIE is available during school
vacations if you attend classes regularly
just before and after the school vacation.
You must let us know.
Make sure to let us know if you are
attending school and working so
we can apply this work incentive to
your earnings.
For more information about your
responsibilities when you work
and how to let us know, visit
www.ssa.gov/redbook and read
The Red Book – A Summary
Guide To Employment Supports
(Publication No. 64-030).
Plan to Achieve Self-Support
(PASS)
A PASS is a written plan for your future.
A PASS allows you to set aside income
and resources for a specified period of
time so that you may reach a work goal
that will reduce your SSI payments. For
example, you could set aside some of
your earnings to pay for expenses for
education, vocational training, starting
a business, or other expenses related
to achieving your work goal. If you
have a PASS, you may also qualify
for continued SSI payments under
Section 301. Social Security must
approve your PASS. You can locate the
PASS Specialist for your area by visiting
www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/
passcadre.htm. For more information
about PASS, read our publication,
7Working While Disabled – A Guide
to Plans for Achieving Self-Support
(Publication No. 05-11017) or visit
www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-11017.pdf. You
can also visit www.ssa.gov/redbook
and read The Red Book – A Summary
Guide to Employment Supports
(Publication No. 64-030).
Work Incentives Planning and
Assistance (WIPA)
Beginning at age 14, WIPA projects
provide information and benefits
counseling to help you understand
how work and earnings can affect your
benefits. To learn more about work
incentives and to locate the nearest
WIPA project, contact the Ticket to
Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842
(TTY 1-866-833-2967) Monday
through Friday from 8:00 a.m.
to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Visit
www.choosework.ssa.gov/findhelp to
find information on WIPA projects.
Protection and Advocacy for
Beneficiaries of Social Security
(PABSS)
PABSS organizations work to protect
the legal rights of Social Security
disability beneficiaries who want to work.
PABSS organizations work with youth in
transition to identify and remove barriers
to employment and independence.
These organizations can provide
information about obtaining vocational
8rehabilitation services. To locate the
PABSS organization in your state,
contact the Ticket to Work Help Line at
1-866-968-7842 (TTY 1-866-833-2967)
Monday through Friday from
8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Visit
www.choosework.ssa.gov/findhelp to
locate your PABSS organization.
Grants and Scholarships
You may be planning to continue your
education in college, or in vocational or
technical school, and you may get grants,
scholarships, fellowships, and gifts.
As long as these items are used, or are
set aside to be used at a future date, to
pay for tuition, fees, or other necessary
educational expenses at any educational
institution (including vocational and
technical schools):
• We do not count them as income
when we figure your SSI payments.
However, we do count any portion
set aside or actually used for
food or shelter.
• We do not count them as a resource
for nine months when we figure your
SSI payments.
In addition, we do not count other types
of assistance as income and resources
in their entirety, regardless of how you
can use them. When we figure SSI
payments, we do not count all student
financial assistance received under:
• Title IV of the Higher Education Act of
1965, including the following:
9—Pell Grants.
—Federal PLUS Loans.
—Perkins Loans.
—Stafford Loans.
—Ford Loans.
—Work Study programs.
• Bureau of Indian Affairs student
assistance programs.
Achieving a Better Life
Experience (ABLE) Account
An ABLE account is a tax-advantaged
savings account for an individual with a
disability. You can use an ABLE account
to save funds for many disability-related
expenses. Anyone, including the account
owner, family, and friends can contribute
to the ABLE account.
The account owner of an ABLE account
must meet one of the below criteria:
• Be eligible for SSI based on disability
or blindness that began before age 26.
• Be entitled to disability insurance
benefits, childhood disability benefits,
or disabled widow’s or widower’s
benefits, based on disability or
blindness that occurred before age 26.
• Have a certification that disability or
blindness occurred before age 26.
The money you have in your ABLE
account (up to and including $100,000)
does not count as a resource under SSI
rules. You can use money in an ABLE
account to pay for certain qualified
10disability expenses, such as those for
education, housing, transportation,
employment training, employment
support, assistive technology, and
related services.
Visit www.ablenrc.org to get more
information on ABLE accounts.
National and Community
Supports From Programs Other
Than Social Security
There are many other free or low-cost
supports and programs available
that can help you prepare for your
transition to adulthood. Many of these
are available in the areas of health,
education, finance, and employment.
• If you have not already done so, we
encourage you to contact your local
school district. Services may be
available to you through the school
system. Ask about an Individualized
Education Program (IEP) or a Section
504 plan.
• Get to Where You Want to Go is
a resource guide produced by the
Wisconsin Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation that provides tips
and resources to help plan for
adulthood and life after high school.
Visit www.beforeage18.org to
get information.
• Parent Centers, funded by the U.S.
Department of Education, help
11families with children who have
special needs. You can find out about
services for school-aged children,
therapy, local policies, transportation,
early intervention programs for babies
and toddlers, and much more. Visit
www.parentcenterhub.org/find-
your-center/ to find a Parent Center
in your state.
• U.S. Health Resources and
Services Administration provides
financial assistance to all states and
jurisdictions for the development of
service systems that support and
improve the health services needs for
mothers, infants, and children. This
includes children with special health
care needs, and their families. Visit
https://mchb.tvisdata.hrsa.gov/
Home to get more information about
state program contacts.
• State VR agencies help youth
transition to adulthood. Visit www2.
ed.gov/about/contacts/state/index.
html to find your state VR agency.
• There are programs offering help
with health care costs, assessments,
and treatments for babies, youth,
young adults, and their family
members. Upon turning 18, you
may be eligible to keep your current
health insurance or you may need to
find other health insurance. To find
programs in your state offering help
with health care costs, assessments
and treatment, visit www.hrsa.gov
12or call 1-800-311-2229 (Spanish
1-800-504-7081).
• You can find a low cost,
affordable health center by visiting
www.hrsa.gov/index.html online.
To get health insurance through a
Health Insurance Marketplace, visit
localhelp.healthcare.gov or call
1-800-318-2596.
• Got Transition is a federally funded
resource center that provides
information and resources to
improve the transition from pediatric
to adult health care, particularly
for youth with disabilities. Visit
www.gottransition.org for
more information.
• If you have questions about
children’s health insurance or want
to apply, contact 1-877-KIDS-NOW
(1-877-543-7669) to connect to an
agency in your state. In addition,
you can contact your state’s family-
to-family health information center,
funded by the Health Resources
and Services Administration. Visit
https://familyvoices.org/ncfpp/ to
find a center in your state.
• You may apply for Medicaid through
your state’s Medicaid agency. Visit
https://www.medicaid.gov/about-us/
contact-us/contact-state-page.html.
• Neighborhood Navigator Tool is
a resource application created by
the American Academy of Family
Physicians. This interactive tool can
support referrals from doctors, service
13providers, counselors, families, and
caregivers. Visit the Neighborhood
Navigator Tool online at
www.familydoctor.org/
neighborhood-navigator to get
information on thousands of local social
services that can assist with needs
like child care, housing, transportation,
employment, and legal services.
• The Catalyst Center at Boston
University, funded by the U.S.
Health Resources and Services
Administration, publishes a monthly
newsletter and infographic that
focuses on financing of care, including
Medicaid for children and youth with
special health care needs and their
families. Visit www.ciswh.org online
and search for Infographic: Medicaid
and Children and Youth with Special
Health Care Needs.
• American Job Centers (One-Stop
Centers) offer many free education,
employment, and training services to
help job seekers. You can find lists
of job openings, use computers with
internet access to search for jobs, and
get help writing your resume. You can
talk to career counselors about career
options, and learn about education
and training for a new career. To find
the nearest American Job Center, go
online to America’s Service Locator at
www.servicelocator.org or call the
toll-free help line at 1-877-US2-JOBS
(1-877-872-5627).
14• MyMoney.gov provides financial
information on a variety of topics,
including how to earn, save and
invest, protect, spend, and borrow.
Go online to www.mymoney.gov to
learn more.
• Hands on Banking is a program
available in both English and Spanish
that teaches people at all stages of
life about the basics of responsible
money management. These basics
include how to create a budget, save
and invest, borrow responsibly, buy a
home, and establish a small business.
Visit www.handsonbanking.org to
get more information.
• YouthBuild engages young people
to rebuild their communities and
their lives by providing pathways to
education, employment, or training.
Visit www.youthbuild.org to get
information on YouthBuild.
• Think College is a national
organization focused on developing,
expanding, and improving research
and practice in inclusive higher
education for students with intellectual
disability. Visit the website at
https://thinkcollege.net/ to learn
about two hundred college programs
for students with intellectual
disabilities. These programs include
those that have the Comprehensive
Transition and Postsecondary
Program designation from the U.S.
Department of Education.
15Social Security is not endorsing any
particular non-federal government
organization, program, or employees
thereof by listing the organization or
program in this publication. We include
the names and contact information for
organizations or programs only as a
convenience to you.
For additional information directed to
our youth audience to assist them with
making a successfully transition into
adulthood, please visit the Youth Toolkit
2021 at www.ssa.gov/youth online.
Contacting Social Security
The most convenient way to do business
with us from anywhere, on any device,
is to visit www.ssa.gov. There are
several things you can do online: apply
for benefits; get useful information;
find publications; and get answers to
frequently asked questions.
When you open a personal
my Social Security account, you have
more capabilities. You can review
your Social Security Statement, verify
your earnings, and get estimates of
future benefits. You can also print a
benefit verification letter, change your
direct deposit information, request
a replacement Medicare card, get a
replacement SSA-1099/1042S, and
request a replacement Social Security
card (if you have no changes and your
state participates).
16If you don’t have access to the internet,
we offer many automated services by
telephone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week. Call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213
or at our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778,
if you’re deaf or hard of hearing.
A member of our staff can answer your
call from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday
through Friday. We ask for your patience
during busy periods since you may
experience a high rate of busy signals
and longer hold times to speak to us. We
look forward to serving you.
17NOTES
18NOTES
19Social Security Administration | Publication No. 05-11005
August 2021 (Recycle prior editions)
What You Need To Know About Your Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) When You Turn 18
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